Apparatus for reversing and controlling regenerative furnaces



Jul 12 1927.

y e. H. ISLEY APPARATUS FOR REVERSING AND CONTROLLING REGENEHATIVEFURNACES Filed Feb. 15. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet l eKJESLe llrar-nejl152887222? fear all,

Jul 12 1927.

y G. H. ISLEY APPARATUS FOR REVERSING AND CONTROLLING REGENERATIVEFURNACES Filed Feb. 15, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 6 I 4 3 E W i I, .& /M/ 91 n l 1 Q a 7 r J a Z r \fl v m 5 95 H if U y fizz 2722 02: $2 0; 6% sLePatented July 12, 1927.

UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. ISLEY, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB TO IOBGAN COE-STBUCTION COMPANY, OE WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ACOBPOEATION OF HAS-SACHUSETTS.

APPARATUS FOR BEVEBSING AND CONTROLLING EEGENEBATIVE FURNACES.

Application fled February 15, 1923. Serial 110. 619,184.

The present'invention relates to the reversal and control ofregenerative furnaces, with particular reference to the regenerativeheating of the air used for supporting com- 6 bustion of the fuelemployed, such asproducer gas, oil, coke oven gas, powdered coal, andthe like. The invention utilizes, in part, the principles of operationwhich characterize the apparatus shown and described in my United StatesLetters Patent No. 1,464,002, dated August 7, 1923,all as more fullyhereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings,wherein Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of the invention as appliedto a conventional type of regenerative furnace.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the reversing apparatus shown in Fi 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view illustrating a detail ofconstruction.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view illustrating a modification of the reversingapparatus.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view of 1parts shown in Fig. 4.

ig. 6 isa sectional view further modification of the reversingapparatus.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the invention is applicable, in general, toany type of regenerative furnace, irrespective of the fuel used therein.In connection with the use of oil, coke oven gas, tar, powdered coal,and the like, as fuel, involving the employment of suitable burners 1,1' therefor at each end of the furnace, the invention is applicable tothe regenerative heating of the air used to support combustion of suchfuel, said air being admitted alternately to the furnace by way ofsuitable regenerator passages 2, 2'. In Fig. 1 the burner 1 is shown inoperative position, and the burner 1 in inoperative position; as will bewell understood, upon reversal' of the furnace, the burner 1 is movedinto operative position and the burner 1 intoinoperative position.

As shown in Fig. 2, said air regenerator passages 2 and 2 are connectedrespectively to open ended ducts 3 and 3, each referably in the form,substantially, of a enturi tube, and equipped at or near its throatportion with a pan of oppositely directed enillustrating a trainingnozzles, designated 4 and 5, the former adapted to induce a gaseous flowthrough the associated duct 3 or 3 into the furnace, and the latteradapted to induce a gaseous flow in the opposite direction from thefurnace. The several nozzles 4 and 5 are all preferably connected bysuitable pipes or ducts 6, 6 to a common air chamber 7, the connectionin each case being controlled by suitable valves or dampers, designated8", 8 8 and 8, of the construction, for exam le, shown in Fig. 3. Thechamber 7 is supp ied with air under pressure from a suitable blower 9,here shown as driven by a motor, or in any other suitable manner, andhaving an inlet control damper 10 to vary theair supply.

In connection with the passage of gases through the furnace from rightto left, as shown in Fig. 1, (the left hand burner 1 being retracted orinoperative) the dampers 8 and 8 are left open and the dampers 8 and 8are closed. .This results inthe operation of the ingoing nozzle 4associated with right hand duct 3, and the outgoing nozzle 5 associatedwith left hand duct 3, the other nozzles being inoperative. As aconsequence, air is drawn in through the upper open end of duct 3, andpasses along with the air under pressure dischar ed by right hand nozzle4 to the furnace, eing regeneratively heated on its way in the passage2', while at the same time the burned gases pass from the other end ofthe furnace through the regenerator passage 2 under theinfluence of. theentraining action of the jet or jets of air under pressure discharged bythe left hand nozzle 5. 4

The reversal of the furnace is effected by simply closin the two dampers8 and 8 and opening t e two dam ers 8 and 8, and by causing the fuelsupp y to be furnished by burner 1 instead of burner 1'. Under theseconditions, the left hand nozzle 4 and the right hand nozzle 5 becomeoperative, the other two nozzles being rendered inoperative. The supplyof air to the furnace is that drawn in or entrained through the upperopen end of duct 3, in conjunction with the air under pressuredischarged by left hand nozzle 4, said air being heated by passage throuh the regenerator passage 2, while the pro ucts of' 'combustion drawnout through passage 2, by the entraining action of nozzle 5, are enabledto impart their heat to the walls of said assage preparatory to thesubsequent intro uction of air through said passage at the next reversalof the furnace.

It is to be noted that the apparatus as above described afi'ordspositive control both of ingoing and outgoing gases, owing to the factthat the draft in either case may be varied at will, by manipulation ofany one or all of the dampers 8, 8", 8 and 8 and also the damper 10.This gives the apparatus the widest possible latitude and flexibility inmeeting all of the various conditions of furnace o eration. Forinstance, under normal con itions of operation, a greater volume of asesmust be handled on the outgoing side t an on the ingoing side, due tothe increase in volume under high temperature; this is made possible bythe independent control of the nozzles, which permits one to be 0 eratedso as to entrain a larger volume 0 gases than the other. If it bedesired to cool the regenerator passages for repairs or otherwise, thiscan be accomplished in one-half the time ordinarily required byoperating both nozzles 4, 4, so as to blow cool air into both passagesat the same time; the effect of this is tohold the heat in the furnacechamber, away from the regenerator passages, while repairs are beingmade. To cool the furnace proper for purposes of repair, both nozzles 5,5 may be operated, to draw out all the gaseous products through theregenerator passages 2 and 2; the present invention permits of thiscooling in much less time than that required when the usual types ofreversing apparatus are employed.

In the apparatus shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the arrangement of theregenerator passages 2, 2' and associated open-ended ducts 3, 3' is thesame as above described. The air under pressure is supplied by blower 9to a supply chamber 7 as before, but in this instance there is but asingle connection from said supply chamber to each duct 3 or 3, namely bway of pipes 11, 11. These pipes, provide with suitable dampers or vaves 12 and 12", each terminate, as shown in Fig. 5, in a thimble 13, thelatter serving for the rotative support of nozzle elements 14, 14, inthe respective ducts 3 and 3'. Said nozzle elements 14, 14 have spindles15, 15 suitably journalled in the opposite walls of the ducts andprovided exterlorly with operating handles 16, 16.

In connection with the passage of gases through the furnace from rightto left, as indicated in Fig. 4, the right hand nozzle 14 is turneddownwardly, so as to entrain air through the upper open end of duct 3for passage, along with the air discharged by said nozzle, through there enerator 2, while at the same time the urned gases from the other endof the furnace are drawn out through regenerator 2 by the entraininaction of left hand nozzle 14 which is turn upwardly for this purpose.The reversal of the furnace is efiected .by simply reversing thepositions of the two nozzles 14, 14,

1. e., by turning up the right hand nozzle and turning down the lefthand nozzle,- this being effected in conjunction, of course, with thereversal of the fuel supply. This arrangement of apparatus affords thesame advantages and the same flexibility of furnace control as affordedby the arrangement of apparatus shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

The reversal of the furnace shown in Fig. 4 can also be eii'ected bymeans of dam ers 3" and 3" provided in the ducts 3 an 3 respectively,these dampers being similar in construction to the dampers 8, 8 etc.When utilizing the duct dampers to obtain passage of the gases throughthe furnace from right to left, the right hand nozzle 14 is turnedupwardly, asindicatedin dotted lines, in the same direction as the lefthand nozzle 14, and theduct damper 3" isclosed. The blast from the righthand nozzle 14 is then deflected downwardly by the damper 3" through theregenerator assage 2, while at the same time the burn other end of thefurnace are drawn out through the regenerator passage 2 by the action ofthe left hand nozzle .14.- The reversal of the furnace may then beeffected by simply opening the damper 3" and closing the damper 3",whereupon the blast from the left hand nozzle 14 is deflected downwardlyby the damper 3" into the regenerator passage 2, while the burned aredrawn out through the regenerator passage 2 b the right hand nozzle 14.

O viously, the furnace shown in Fig. 2 can also be controlled andreversed by employing the duct dampers 3 and 3" in connection with onlthe upwardly extending nozzles 5, 5. With both of the dampers 8" and 8open, and with the dampers 8 and 8' closed to prevent discharge throu hthe nozzles 4, 4, the passage of gases t rough the furnace can becontrolled by'mani ulating the duct dampers 3 and 3' just as escribewith reference to Fig. 4.

In a third form of the invention, shown in Fig. 6, the opposite airregenerators 17 and 17 of the furnace terminate respectively in upwardlydirected extensions 18 and 18 the latter mer ing into a commonhorizontal chamber 19, fiaving a single air inlet 20, and a singledischar e duct 21. Nozzles 22 and 23 are respective y dis osed in saidinlet- 20 and in said discharge uct 21, these nozzles being suppliedwith air under pressure from a blower 9 by pipe connections 24, 24,equipped with the usual control valves or dampers 25, 25. A swingingbutterfly valve 26 is disposed in the chamber 19 and, in the gases fromthe accuse full line position thereof, allows the passage of gasesthrough the furnace from right to left, as shown y the arrows in Fig.,6, the nozzle 22 operating to entrain the air through inlet 20 to forceit along with the air discharged by said nozzle, into the right hand endof the furnace through regenerator passage 17, and the nozzle 23 servingto entrain the waste gases from re erator passage 17, and to cause theirischarge through the upper open end of discharge duct 21. The reversalof the furnace is effected by shifting the butterfly valve 26 into thedotted line position, thereby causing the entering air, entrained bnozzle 22, to pass into re enerator 17, an the waste gases, entraine bynozzle 23 to be .discharged from re enerator 17' through the duct 21. Itis to e noted in this connection that one side of the butterfly valve 26is always exposed to the cool entering air; the other side, which isexposed to the hot gases discharged from the furnace, may be suib ablyprotected b the use of a heat resistin surface of fire rick, or thelike, as indicated at 27.

I claim, 1. Apparatus of the class described, comprising an outwardlyopening duct leading rom each end of a regenerative furnace, an airsupply means having branches opening into both of said ducts and meansselectively operable on said air supply means and its branches fordischarging air into each of said ducts in an inwardly directed or. inan outwardly directed jet, the first named jet of air with the airentrained by it constituting the air supply throu h one of said ductsfor the sup ort of com ustion within the furnace, an the last named jetof air serving for the entrainment in the other of said ducts of thewaste gases from the furnace lfior discharge through the open end, ofsaid not. 2. Apparatus of the class described, comprising an outwardlyopening duct leading rom each end of a regenerative furnace, an airnozzle in each of said ducts, and means for supplying air to saidnozzles for. the creation m one of said ducts of an inwardly directedair-entraining jet of air, and in the other of said ducts of anoutwardly directed air jet for entraining and discharging waste gasesfrom said furnace.

3. Apparatus of the class described, comprising an outwardly openingduct leading rom each end of a regenerative furnace, an air nozzle forthe delivery of air under pressure in each of said ducts, means forsupplying air to each-*of said nozzles, and means for selectivelyprocuring, in each duct, a jet discharge of air from said nozzles in anmward or an outward direction, said inward jet, with the air entrainedby it, constituting theair supply for the support of combustion in thefurnace, and said outward jet serving for the entrainment of the wastefurnace gases and their discharge to the atmosphere.

GEORGE H. ISLEY.

